Nick on the Rocks: Colossal batholiths collide in the Cascades

The massive Golden Horn and Black Peak granite towers near Washington Pass tell a story 50 million years in the making.

Adam Brown

Adam Brown Jun 15, 2025

Jan 23, 2025

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                <h1>Nick on the Rocks: Colossal batholiths collide in the Cascades</h1>
                <h2><p>The massive Golden Horn and Black Peak granite towers near Washington Pass tell a story 50 million years in the making.</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/adam/">Adam Brown</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Jan 23, 2025</time></p>
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            <p>Drive over Washington Pass on Highway 20 in the North Cascades and you will be treated to views of some of the most dramatic and severe mountains in the entire United States.</p><p>The 7,700-foot Liberty Bell looms large over the landscape, and at sunset and sunrise it turns a brilliant gold.</p><p>That’s because it’s made of an orange-colored granite and is part of the Golden Horn batholith – a massive granite formation that makes up about half of the skyline at Washington Pass. The other half? The darker Black Peak batholith formation.</p><p>Nick Zentner looks for the spot where these two batholiths meet to tell a story 50 million years in the making!</p><p><em>Support for </em>Nick on the Rocks<em> is provided by the Pacific Science Center.</em></p>
          </article>

Drive over Washington Pass on Highway 20 in the North Cascades and you will be treated to views of some of the most dramatic and severe mountains in the entire United States.

The 7,700-foot Liberty Bell looms large over the landscape, and at sunset and sunrise it turns a brilliant gold.

That’s because it’s made of an orange-colored granite and is part of the Golden Horn batholith – a massive granite formation that makes up about half of the skyline at Washington Pass. The other half? The darker Black Peak batholith formation.

Nick Zentner looks for the spot where these two batholiths meet to tell a story 50 million years in the making!

Support for Nick on the Rocks is provided by the Pacific Science Center.

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By Adam Brown

Adam Spiro Brown manages Original Productions at Cascade PBS. He previously ran Lucid Visual Media, an independent production company, creating award-winning documentaries, films and commercials.